Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that it will no longer preempt the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show on its many ABC affiliates across the country starting on Friday night.
In a statement shared on X, the media group announced that it will "end its preemption of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the show will return this evening on Sinclair's ABC affiliates."
"Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience," the statement read. "We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming."
READ MORE: TPUSA's Andrew Kolvet Sounds Off on Jimmy Kimmel's Return Monologue: 'He's an Unrepentant Liar'
ABC Reinstates Jimmy Kimmel, but Nexstar Is Saying 'Nope'
"Over the last week, we have received thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders representing a wide range of perspectives," it added. "We have also witnessed troubling acts of violence, including the despicable incident of a shooting at an ABC affiliate station in Sacramento."
"These events underscore why responsible broadcasting matters and why respectful dialogue between differing voices remains so important," it continued. "In our ongoing and constructive discussions with ABC, Sinclair proposed measures to strengthen accountability, viewer feedback, and community dialogue, including a network-wide independent ombudsman. These proposals were suggested as collaborative efforts between the ABC affiliates and the ABC network."
Sinclair also made it clear that its decision to preempt Kimmel's show on its 40 affiliates after the host lied about Charlie Kirk's murder was made with no influence from the government.
"Our decision to preempt this program was independent of any government interaction or influence," the statement read. "Free speech provides broadcasters with the right to exercise judgment as to the content on their local stations. While we understand that not everyone will agree with our decisions about programming, it is simply inconsistent to champion free speech while demanding that broadcasters air specific content."
"As a company rooted in local stations, Sinclair remains committed to serving our communities with programming that reflects their priorities, earns their trust, and promotes constructive dialogue," it added. "We look forward to continuing to work with ABC to deliver content that serves a broad spectrum of our communities.
Nexstar, which also preempted the late show due to Kimmel's lies about the suspected killer of Kirk, has yet to make a public announcement on whether they will follow suit with Sinclair or continue to not air the late-night talk show on its dozens of affiliates.
SEE: Sinclair Delivers Big Statement on Kimmel Suspension With What They'll Be Airing in His Slot Instead
ABC Preempting' Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Indefinitely After Vile Comments About Charlie Kirk's Murder
As RedState reported, initially, it was only Nexstar and Sinclair who announced after Kimmel's vile actions that they would "indefinitely" suspend his show. Then ABC said it was following suit with Kimmel's show being preempted "indefinitely."
Days later, ABC caved and said he would be back on air on Tuesday, and now Sinclair has followed, both doing so with no formal apology from Kimmel for the lies he told. This is disappointing, but I can't say it's totally surprising.
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